Free downtown shuttle 'The Squeeze' now operating in Lake Wales

A shuttle service in downtown Lake Wales is offering people a new, free option to move around the growing city.

As the director of Polk State College's JD Alexander Center, Von McGriff spends most of her day in downtown Lake Wales.

“Right now, because of the revitalization process, it’s a little tedious getting around downtown,” McGriff said.

Moving around downtown just got easier. The Squeeze is now zipping around Lake Wales’ downtown historic district.

The free shuttle service, which is provided by Citrus Connection, has seven stops on its route. The stops include 2 South Second Street, 44 West Central Avenue, 53 West Stuart Avenue, 90 North Wetmore Street, 221 North Market Street, 198 North First Street, and 10 North Market Street. The college is one of those stops.

“Having The Squeeze makes it much more accessible for our students to go downtown. If they need to do banking and we have retail shops and restaurants. It makes it easier for students to access,” McGriff said.

The eight-passenger golf cart that will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays, starting Monday, May 13. The Squeeze will make pick up stops every twelve minutes.

The launch of the golf cart service comes as downtown is undergoing a multimillion-dollar revitalization project, and construction is disrupting connectivity.

City leaders hope the squeeze will attract more people to the area during this construction period.

“It brings people to this destination that’s the key word. Then it brings them to the local businesses where they can do business,” said Robin Gibson, Deputy Mayor of Lake Wales.

The Squeeze golf cart service has already proven popular in downtown Lakeland.

It will run in Lake Wales for a year and if successful, the contract for the shuttle service will be extended.

When debris from a tractor struck their vehicle on I-75, Denise and Mike Brennan were told by a state contractor that "they will take care of it." Now, more than six months later, the Brennans are still $7000 out-of-pocket for repairs and rentals.

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